The Dustbowl Revival – Carry Me Home

The Dustbowl Revival
Carry Me Home
By Gerry Gomez
Staff Writer

On Carry Me Home, Zachary Lupetin leads his Venice, CA based band, The Dustbowl Revival, through 11 songs that remind one of a New Orleans second line party strolling up the French Quarter during the height of Mardi gras adding a bit of mountain bluegrass and jug-band blues thrown for fun. Known for shows that often spontaneously combust into audience on stage or band in audience parties, Lupetin blurs the lines often as a performer and chief songwriter and lead merry maker. On this latest effort, he even could be seen as a circus trainer of sorts having to corral up to 27 musical co-conspirators.

Joining in on the fun is a consortium of long time live band members performing traditional instrumentation including: violin, mandolin, banjo, accordion, trumpet, jugs, clarinet, trombone, washboard, kazoo, maybe even the kitchen sink. The Dustbowl Revival, has a great esprit de corps given their propensity and frequency of over-the-top live shows translating to everyone being on the same page in the tricky arrangements of Dustbowl Revival. For a group of (largely) twenty something’s, they really draw the most from their influences and learning/training to present another feel-good album of nostalgic prohibition era fun.

All the musical madness plays support to Lupetin’s clever lyrics and the original songs of Carry Me Home range from songs of humorous fictitious characters (“Josephine”), to gold rush era songs of joyous promise (“New River Train”). There’s a few redux of standards “Swing Low” and “John The Revelator” as well as nods to swing, gospel and American folk. Most of the album’s sound was lovingly produced by Eric Lilavois at Crown City Studios.

“They used to call me Joseph, but now they call me Josephine.” is the high-humor point in the chorus of the comedic song, “Josephine.” The often requested song actually came out of a comedy show where Lupetin was trying out the song and it took hold and grew a life of its own, and a following as a fan favorite.

Fans are something the Dustbowl Revival don’t seem to be short of. Often as large as an 8-piece, the band plays to enthusiastic crowds around town and seem to be on a train that will likely have many stops around the country. Already playing on the festival circuit, the Dustbowl Revival are riding an inertia to towns big and small and will burn an indelible path on the road of one’s memory should they have the privilege of seeing them live. Short of catching them in the flesh, Carry Me Home is a feel-good listen that’ll make one feel like popping open some moonshine and celebrating the repeal of prohibition.

http://dustbowlrevival.com